Here is a picture of the cheese press I built and my first cheese. (Basic hard cheese.)
The spring I found seems to have a force of 60 -70 lbs fully compressed. The PVC is 4"diameter.
From what I’ve read I should be aiming at 5o lbs max for this size wheel is that correct?
I put holes around the bottom. Should there be more holes further up?
What is your routine for building up pressure and flipping the cheese?

By the way the colour of the cheese comes from achiote seeds fried in oil and then I added some of the oil to the cheese just before pressing. We used to live in Ecuador and brought the seeds back home with us. The color that comes out of the seeds is good for you (beta carotene) and is used commercially for giving butter and cheese that nice golden color.

Not a bad looking press.  Good work.  As long as the bottom is open, you shouldn’t really need more holes in the side.  My mold has none at all; but some prefer to use them.  I started with a spring type as you have constructed; but I grew unhappy with it - for this reason.  When pressure is first applied, you will get what you set it for.  However, as the whey is expelled, and the wheel shrinks in size, the spring decompresses and the pressure decreases.  So, you have to continually reapply pressure to maintain the proper setting.  So I graduated to a weight system.  With that, you can always have the same weight no matter how much it compresses.  Now, Dave will argue for the pneumatic press, but its the same principle - maintaining the same pressure throughout the entire press cycle.

Another thing you may have already been made aware of.  The pressing weights in your recipes are likely designed for a 4” press such as you have built.  If, in the future, you move up to a larger press, you will need to recalculate your weights to maintain the same psi of pressure.

But, from the looks of your cheese, you’re off to a good start.  Keep it up, and you’ll be rewarded with lots of great cheeses.

Nice looking press!!